


Wandering Stars

by rubylily



Category: Haibane Renmei
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Introspection, Wings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-27
Updated: 2013-08-27
Packaged: 2017-12-24 18:54:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/943446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubylily/pseuds/rubylily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rakka and Hikari help clean Kana's wings, and the three of them have a discussion about the stars and the future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wandering Stars

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for ladiesbingo, with wingfic as the prompt.

A Haibane's wings were important. Neither white nor black, they were a beautiful charcoal gray, and every Haibane knew how to properly take care of her wings.

Rakka gently scrubbed Kana's wings with a small brush. While fixing a piece of machinery, Kana had accidentally knocked over a can of oil with her wings, horribly staining them. Now Rakka and Hikari were cleaning them, and since fresh air was good for wet wings, the three of them were on the balcony of Old Home, underneath the starry sky.

"Ugh, that was so stupid of me," Kana whined. "I should've put on a pair of those wing covers. The old man is going to be so mad when he finds out what happened!"

"Well, he doesn't need to know what accidents happen in the privacy of your own room," Hikari said as she dipped her brush into a bowl of water.

Kana let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah, you're right. Sheesh, that's the last time I listen to inspiration and try to fix something right before bed."

"What were you working on?" Rakka asked.

"Some kind of toy, I think. About this long." Kana held her hands apart to give its approximate length. "It had a motor, so I thought it needed oil, so I got out a can, and when I turned sharply my wing got caught on the handle."

"What kind of toy has a motor?" Hikari wondered. "That doesn't seem safe for a child."

"Eh, who knows?" Kana shrugged. "I found it at the clock tower in a pile of some other weird stuff, and the old man let me have it. Who knows where he got it."

"Maybe the Toga brought into Glie…" Rakka said in a quiet voice.

Kana waved her hand in dismissal. "I don't know, the Communicator doesn't seem like he'd take toys from the Toga."

"Kana, hold still!" Hikari exclaimed, seizing Kana's shoulder. "We're not done yet!"

Once Kana and Hikari calmed down, silence fell over the three Haibane. Even though it was night out, enough light came from inside that Rakka could tell she and Hikari were almost done with cleaning Kana's wings. Rakka was almost disappointed; it wasn't often that she could touch another Haibane's wings like this. When Reki had first cleaned her wings, it had felt so intimate, and that was a feeling she would always treasure.

Rakka gently rubbed a feather between her fingers. Kana's wings were surprisingly soft, in contrast to her harsh demeanor. However, she had lived in Old Home long enough to know that Kana was actually very kind, and the way she took care of her own wings were just one of many signs of that.

"All done," Hikari said with a smile as she and Rakka set down their brushes.

Kana stood up from the stool she had been sitting on and flapped her wings. "Wow, they feel really clean," she said. "You two are good. Practicing for when the twins hatch?"

Rakka blushed. "I just think it's something that all Haibane should know how to do. Besides, I could tell you take really good care of your wings too."

"I know, I know." Kana grinned widely. "But c'mon! You're the one most eager for those cocoons to finally hatch! Whenever you're not working or sleeping, you're in that room!"

"Well, I want to there for them like Reki was for me," Rakka explained, managing a smile. "They're going to be confused and frightened, so they'll need something to guide them."

Hikari let out a quiet giggle. "When I hatched from my cocoon, Nemu was waiting for me," she said, "but she was asleep! That just made me more confused!"

"That sure sounds like Nemu, all right," Kana said, laughing as she walked over to the railing, and her wings twitched slightly. "I was so angry when I woke up here. Not only couldn't I remember anything, it really hurt when my wings spouted, and then I found out I couldn't even fly with them!"

"You wanted to fly?" Rakka asked as she and Hikari came up next to Kana.

"Eh, a little bit, yeah," Kana answered. "Mostly when I was still new and wanted to escape Glie. Then I got used to things here, and really, the only things that can fly over the Wall are those scavenger crows, and I don't want to be like them."

Hikari adjusted her glasses. "Now, Kana, you know that not all birds are scavengers."

Rakka looked up at the starry sky. Deep down she felt she had never seen so many stars before living in Glie. "It would be nice to fly, though, to see the stars."

"Maybe, but even if we could fly, I doubt we could ever reach the stars, since they're always wandering," Kana mused, resting her chin on her hand. "They're not walled in like we are."

"But stars return with the seasons," Hikari said, and she pointed up at a particular cluster of stars. "That constellation is only visible during this season, so it always returns this time of the year. We Haibane will eventually have our Day of Flight, so in that way, we're freer than the stars."

"Is that so?" Kana blinked in surprise. "Huh, I never thought of it that way."

Rakka said nothing in response. She only leaned against the railing and continued to stare at the stars. Kuu did believe that Haibane could fly, so maybe she and Reki were among the stars, or maybe they could see more stars from wherever they were now. Rakka still wanted to see them again, but she was not yet ready to fly.

Her wings shivered in the cool night air. The stars were truly beautiful, and they were just one of the many things she wanted to share with the two new Haibane when they hatched from their cocoons. When they did hatch and spouted their wings, Rakka would be sure to clean them properly. A Haibane's wings were precious, after all.

Those cocoons could hatch at any moment, and Rakka wanted to be there for them.

"Oh, so this is where you three are," said a voice approaching the three girls - Nemu's, and she stepped out onto the balcony. "I get up for a glass of water, and I find quite a few lights on."

Kana turned to face Nemu. "Hikari and Rakka were helping me clean my wings after I spilled oil on them," she explained.

Nemu raised an eyebrow. "This late at night? Well, that was certainly kind of them, but Kana, you should be more careful in the future."

"Yes, ma'am…" Kana muttered as her face went red.

"Um, Nemu?" Rakka said, taking a few steps closer to Nemu. "Is it okay if I spend the night with the cocoons?"

"Are you sure?" Nemu asked. "You're already spending a lot of time with them, and I don't want you to exhaust yourself."

Rakka nodded. "Yes, I'm sure."

A quiet smile came upon Nemu's lips. "All right, Rakka. If you're so certain, then I believe you'll do fine."

Hikari laid her hand on Rakka's shoulder and squeezed gently. "You'll be a great mentor, Rakka, and we'll do our best for them too."

Rakka smiled. Reki and Kuu had taken such good care of her when she had gained her wings, and she wanted to do the same for the two newborn Haibane.


End file.
